Mumbai’s red-light districts are not a safe place for children. Surrounded by brothels, abuse and drugs, these children grow up in deplorable conditions. Their mothers are sex workers who are often trafficked against their will. At night, some of these children are drugged and put under the bed while their mothers work in the sex trade.

Women working in the red light districts are treated like less than human. They encounter daily abuse and violence from customers and pimps.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Here's how you can help…

Want to do something special this Mother's Day? Giving a gift that can change the lives of women and families around the world is a great way to honor the wonderful mom in your life.

Thank her for everything she's done by giving a poor mom in India a sewing machine that will change her life!

A sewing machine can do so much. It can help a woman in need start her own sewing business and provide for her family--a mom like Sheshea!

Have you ever had food poisoning or a stomach virus? You’re not in control of your body. You feel awful. Now imagine that right after you get better and start to feel normal… you immediately get sick again.

That’s what it was like for Manoj. He’s a 10-year old boy and was always getting really sick, suffering from stomach aches and diarrhea. Manoj was sick all the time because the water in his village was dirty. His young life was constantly in danger from water contaminated with bacteria, waste, disease and trash.

Unbelievably it costs only 10 cents to get clean, disease-free water for people like Manoj for 10 years.

Will you send a gift today to provide a water well to a child like Manoj, or perhaps for a whole family—or even an entire village?

International Women’s Day is March 8th, which is not a commonly recognized day in the US. But in much of the world, March 8th is a significant day to recognize and honor women for their contributions to society.

As you think about the women God brought into your life, think how you can honor what they've done for you. Today, you can celebrate International Women's Day by helping women living in rural India who face difficult circumstances.

Stories of the tragic plight of some women in India have headlined the news recently, from gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi to the murder of three innocent girls in central India just last month. These are only the stories that made it into US news broadcasts. The plight goes beyond the headlines.

Women living in rural India face tough obstacles, including:

Risk of physical violence - Just being a woman in India puts you at risk; a husband might set his wife on fire if she is not living up to his standards.

Sex Trafficking - More than 2.3 million girls and women in India are believed to be working in the sex industry against their will. In some families the men will prostitute their wives as a way to earn an income.

But there is hope! You can improve the lives of women in India by...

On the evening of 27th of February a fire started in 2 thatched houses in a village near one of our partners. Within one hour, 55 houses were burned to the ground. The villagers are all poor families. Several residents: three older women, and two infant babies; and some of the livestock: five goats, twelve sheep, and three water buffaloes all died in the fire.

The families could not bear the terrible heat coming from the burning houses, and were not able to take any useful things from their huts. Five sewing machines and nine bicycles were burned. The sewing machines had been given to the graduates of the one of the India Partners supported tailoring schools.

These poor mothers, children, and all those that lost houses are crying for help. To address their immediate needs, India Partners is supplying emergency food, clothes and medical care.

Can you provide for one person for $20, or assist a family for $80?

Lent is almost here and I wanted to share about a great way that you, your family, church or small group can make a difference this Easter season.

India Partners recently joined an organization called Waiting for Water in its mission to mobilize followers of Jesus to provide clean water during the Lenten and Easter season.

Starting on Lent, I strongly encourage you, your family, church, or small group to participate in Waiting for Water's Easter Journey. There are free online resources, such as Bible study guides, weekly devotionals, and sermon aids that will engage you and your community on how to respond to the need for safe water throughout the world.

By taking The Easter Journey, you and your church community will grow through weekly Bible studies and devotionals, learn about the global water crisis, and take action by being part of the solution.

You’ve heard of the Dalits before, and that they eke out their lives on less than $1 a day. What you don’t hear about is the simple problem that far too often kills them; getting sick. Getting sick means they can’t work. If they can’t work they have no money to buy food. A medical problem that would be a ‘blip’ for you and me will go untreated and often end in death.

But you can provide healthcare -- examination, treatment, medicines -- for one Dalit for only $2.85. This means that for only $2.85 you can literally save a life. But how is it possible to do that for such a small amount?

Your gift sends a van full of doctors, nurses, medicines and supplies to remote villages to serve the poorest of the poor. It’s called the Mobile Medical Van and I hope you’ll send a gift today. Just look at the huge impact you can have...

It’s hard to imagine your entire life washing away before your eyes: your home, your livelihood or even your loved ones.

As a husband, farmer, and father of two children, Sreekanth is the sole provider for his family. In 2009, the floods had no mercy on his one-acre property on a river island in Andhra Pradesh, India. His fields were ruined, covered with salt water and mud. Rising waters wiped out whole villages, swept away fishing boats, destroyed crops, and drowned animals. Many were homeless and nine children were killed by this unfortunate disaster.

These annual monsoon floods continue to endanger lives, homes and animals. They harm the precious land this agricultural community depends on for food and income. But with the support of donors like you, you can help control the ill-effects of flooding.

Over 21 million people in India are disabled and face the reality of few jobs and social discrimination on a daily basis. However, thanks to your help, disabled students at Agape Rehabilitation Center, India Partners’ indigenous agency in Chennai, are experiencing a different reality.

The students at Agape Rehabilitation Center learn computer and job skills that prepare them for successful futures in today’s high-tech world. Since 1995, Agape has been a place of refuge and learning where thousands of disabled individuals have gained economic independence through computer training.

Vimala is one student who greatly benefited from studying at Agape. Vimala joined Agape’s computer education course with much apprehension. She has a neurological disability that severely affects her voice and causes strained physical movements. At first, communication between Vimala and Agape’s staff was extremely difficult. However, the staff noticed Vimala was smart and had a great memory, so they kept encouraging her to do her best...

When was the last time you were blamed for something that you didn’t do? We can all think of examples in our own lives. But, what if you were wrongly accused for something as serious as murder?

In a country where you are innocent until proven guilty, you might have hope that the truth would be exposed. However in India, where the judicial system is extremely slow, there are nearly 250,000 people languishing in prison, awaiting trial every year. Those who are truly innocent may wait months or even years for a trial date. With jail cells designed for 50 people holding upwards of 180, diseases are rampant and some may even die in prison, waiting to state their case.

However, thanks to your help, those awaiting trial are able to benefit from legal aid, adult literacy classes, value education, computer skills training, medical camps, counseling and nutrition components from India Partners’ indigenous agency, Sahaara Charitable Society, who is serving on the ground in four of the darkest prisons in India.

Kamala and her family were the beneficiaries of Sahaara’s services in prison after finding themselves wrapped up in the Indian legal system over something as meager as a neighborly miscommunication...